Suspicions and Surprises
by Fallen Ark Angel
Summary: Jealous? Freed? Of the Strauss siblings? Why? Because they all stole his friends and idol from him like it was nothing? No. Not him. Why would he be jealous of something like that? It was ludicrous. Laughable. Ha. - One-shot.


Suspicion and Suprises

Freed wasn't jealous. At all. Not of Mirajane. Or the fact that she had gotten the one thing that he had wanted, oh, for years upon years and put so much time and loyalty into that it was truly unfair and where did she get off at-

Erhm. The point was, he was not jealous.

He also didn't mind that Lisanna, the woman's sister, had snagged his closest ally. He didn't care that she know controlled what he did during his free time, when he went out, how much he was allowed to drink, who he could drink it with, and, most importantly, where his jewels got spent. He really didn't. She was doing an excellent job at it all. Really. She had the seith living as a semi-functioning adult. It was about as good as Freed would have ever been able to do.

But still…

And finally, he could almost kiss Elfman (but not really, because who could, but his last teammate). He had single handedly kept Freed from going insane. His only other friend was pretty much impossible to deal with at times and, well, luckily, Freed got to ship her off to him then, without a second thought.

Which he didn't have any. About them. The Strausses. Not at all. Because they were really great people. Inspiring back story. Uplifting, even. Great. Just great…

Sigh.

It just didn't feel fair at times. It was like he was the odd man out. In everything. He couldn't go around, ordering women to keep their hands off Laxus anymore because, with Mira on his arm, there were no women even attempting to compete! And just forget about sitting around with Ever on a Friday night, silently judging all the other guild members. Oh, no. She had a date with Elfman, which, she'd tell him repeatedly, she wasn't even going to enjoy. But she had to go. She just had to. What about Bickslow then? Who even knew if he was alive! All he ever did was hole up in his apartment with his little wooden dolls and Lisanna and do God knows what (or Mira knows what was probably more accurate) while avoiding all their friends because they were just so perfect for one another and didn't realize the annoyance they were on a daily basis.

Gah! It was like they didn't even care that Freed was the third…no fifth…no seventh wheel. As if he hadn't been the one that had been there for all three of them (Ever, mostly, because she was more prone to sobbing over trivial things and, as team leader, he felt the need to comfort her…most of the time) while simultaneously keeping the whole group together. But did they care? No.

…Again, not that he did either. At all. Elfman, Mirajane, and Lisanna were truly great for all three of his friends. And while he found himself longing for days past, when none of them had anything tying them down and could do as they pleased, he had to admit, they all seemed at least somewhat happier since the formation of their relationship.

Laxus especially went through a radical reformation. Mirajane had somehow found the magical technique that made the man overly submissive. He did everything she wanted. Everything. They went out to dinner, out shopping, and, more than once, Freed had it on good authority (spying ability) that Laxus had begun to discuss marriage with her.

It made him sick, really.

…With happiness that is. For his famed idol finally settling down and finding true peace in life. And for it to be right back at the beginning, in the very guild where he began. It was almost too good to be true. Almost…

Bickslow though didn't change much. Not noticeably. If you were anyone, but Freed. But he could tell that being with Lisanna had, at the very least, given him something new to do with his time. They seemed more buddies than anything else. They liked to goof off together, usually playing pranks or just acting silly. His babies took to her and, well, Freed was nearly certain that was all it took to earn the key to Bickslow's heart. That and make lots and lots of sweets. With Mirajane as a sister, Lisanna usually managed to bake him something at least once a week and that apparently was enough for the seith.

Again, he was more than happy for the man. That he was finally growing up. That he had a woman in his life that brought him such joy. That he could disappear off the face of Earth Land for days at time and worry the Thunder Legion and Strauss siblings alike only to find out that he and, as he called her, Lissy had run off to go stay in some random town to screw and cause trouble. Wonderful. It was absolutely wonderful.

Exhausting for the rest of them, but wonderful nonetheless.

That left, of course, Evergreen. And while Elfman brought some balance to her life, he also brought more drama than most of them were ready for. She, out of all of them, at times seemed the least happy with her relationship. Not that Freed ever, gee, maybe prayed that such times would lead to the demolition of said relationship. No, of course not. Never once thought about it. Because Ever always came to her senses and realized that, well, who else would be with her, but Elfman?

And wasn't that the whole point of love anyways? Finding the one person that can actually stand you no matter what the level of hatred they form over the years?

No?

Well, someone should inform the two of them of that.

Anyhow, Freed wasn't envious or jealous. He didn't loath the Strauss siblings. He thought that they were upstanding people and he was glad that their friends had come so far into the light that they had been able to find such…comfortable relationships with them. Mira had been the most kind to him that any person outside of the Thunder Legion ever had been. If he had to trust Laxus with anyone…

No, he wouldn't go that far.

But it wasn't his choice. Just like he couldn't pick Ever's relationship for her. She'd had her string of bad ones, usually with non-mages around the city that only ended in heartache. Clearly, she'd learned her lessons. Because there was no way that anyone could ever get their heart broken by Elfman Strauss. While rather useful to the guild in times of need due to his strength, Freed just didn't see very many women barking up that tree. At all. Ever was safe. And he kept trying to tell himself that was all that mattered.

Then with Bickslow, well, how could he complain? The man was finally paying his bills on time, his apartment was at least somewhat clean, and he wasn't driving the rest of them up the wall all the time as he complained about his boredom. Lisanna gave him something to do constantly. If they were fighting, they'd put their all into it. And when they made up, it was as if they'd just experienced the greatest of miracles (considering she'd been spared from death, you'd think Lisanna would have a tad bit more knowledge on something like that). It was getting to the point that Bickslow didn't even workout with Freed anymore. Just Lissy. Perfect little Lissy with the childlike personality and, as Bickslow had described her once when he was drunk, the perfect little virginal angel that he was having so much fun dirtying up.

Disgusting. But so long as they were both happy, right?

Right?

Right.

Until, one day, things got even worse.

It wasn't so unusual not to see Laxus for a day or two. He was rather reclusive at times. Even to the Thunder God Tribe. And Ever was so self-centered and vain that he knew if she thought she didn't look good one day (it was rare), she might just skip an appearance down at the guildhall. Then, as previously mentioned, Bickslow had a tendency to just run off with Lisanna with no warning and no good reason.

So the first day wasn't odd.

The second day without them was strange.

By the third day, he was a little annoyed.

He'd gone to Bickslow's apartment to no avail. He'd asked Mirajane about Laxus, but she just said he was busy with other things that he didn't want disclosed (Freed had never felt more flustered and annoyed with the woman than when those words left her mouth). And just nobody had seen Ever. No one had even seen Elfman! And Lisanna was nowhere to be found. The only reason he saw Mira was because she worked up at the guildhall, but there he just felt like an outcast.

Which wasn't right. He'd made friends with the others long ago. And though sometimes Gray's nudity made him blush and Natsu's rowdiness gave him a headache, he knew that they were all his team. His guild. His family.

But… The Thunder Legion was different. And, after four days of not seeing any of them, he felt a tad annoyed.

Then, by day five, rejected. And angry. But mostly just depressed.

Had he…done something? He racked his brain for the transgression, but he found none. What could he have done anyhow? The last day they were all together, they had all just enjoyed a few rounds of beer up at the hall. What could he have said?

Nothing. He knew that it had something to do with those…filthy Strauss siblings. That was why the other two were avoiding him and Mirajane was being evasive. He figured that it was mostly her fault. The whole thing. First she'd stolen his Laxus from him and now she was withholding even glimpses of the man? And had she used her weird sisterly influence over her siblings to have them turn Bickslow and Evergreen against him? Was that the plan? To drive him out of the Thunder God Tribe?

Or worse; disband it all together? And form some sort of weird Strauss/Thunder Legion team that left the seventh wheel out?

In Freed's overactive imagination fueled by his usually overly analytical side, that sounded entirely plausible.

It was like joining two houses. Only, no one ever cared about what happened to the poor weird uncle when all the others were off getting married and exchanging castles. Oh, no. Just let him rot. Like a dog. Like a filthy, no good, boring, logical, annoying dog that no one really liked, but just put up with. Who apparently wasn't good enough to hang around. Why hangout with Freed? He was just Laxus' creepy stalker and, well, apparently that was done with. Finished. The she-devil was making sure of that. No need to tempt her man with such a fool. No way. Just off him then, huh? And smile to his face and tell him it was none of his business.

Now? Now Freed was jealous.

The worst of it came when they completely forgot his birthday. No one wished him many more. No cake. No presents. No Ever's standard scolding about how lonely he seemed, pining after Laxus, and he should find someone who truly appreciated him. No guys' night with Bickslow and Laxus where they all got drunk and Freed prayed that Laxus lost some of his inhibitions and realized just how loyal he'd always been, only to end the night keeping track of the plastered Bickslow and making sure that he didn't choke on his own vomit.

He cherished those moments! How dare the Strausses take them away!

Then Mirajane did it. Oh, did she do it. Before she got off and let Kinana take the night shift, she came over to his table at the guildhall and gave him a note, disappearing before he had a chance to speak with her.

Unfolding it, he found it to be without a sender name, but it was clear who wrote it.

 _Demon's place. Eight. Be there._

Oh, he'd be there, he hissed at Laxus' poor penmanship. With bells on. Bells that would ring in a new age. The age of the Freed that took shit from no one! Especially not his so called friends who couldn't even face him themselves. Who would let Mirajane, while fearsome, could be easily manipulated at other times trick them into ditching him. He was not someone who would be ignored so easily! If he was going out, it would be with a bang!

So, when he arrived at the Strauss home (as the three siblings still lived together, he'd been there on more than one occasion with his friends when they visited their significant others), it was with the determination that he was not going to let himself be played as a fool. His friends were going to ditch him, were they? Ha! Freed had been rejected his whole life. It was not at all something that he was a stranger to. How dare they think that they could possibly top all the other times he'd been stepped on and forgotten. He lived for them, fine, but he wouldn't be snuffed out for them too.

He didn't just knock on that front door either. He banged on it. He was upset. Mira thought that she could play him, did she? Lead him away from the guildhall and treat him so poorly? Keep her reputation up at the hall clean and pure as always? Ha!

Ha.

"Laxus? Mirajane?" He knocked again. "Are you in there? It is eight. Why did you lure me here if you're not even home?"

All worked up and with no way to vent his aggression, the man moved to try the doorknob. At least one of the siblings should be home and, honestly, any would do. When he found the door unlocked, he let himself in.

"Laxus?" he called out, welcomed with the dark house. "Are you-"

"Surprise!"

Then the lights were turned on by a grinned Elfman, who was standing over by the switch, though Freed's eyes didn't immediately go there. It was hard for them to go anywhere else other than Mirajane, who had popped up from behind the couch and continued on with her bouncing even after. Next to her was Laxus of course, who didn't look so taciturn for once and was sporting something someone might construe as a grin, but many would over look. Freed sure didn't.

"Happy birthday!"

He was jumped suddenly by an overly animated Lisanna, who wrapped her arms tightly around his neck as she hugged him. Bickslow was standing there too, grinning with his tongue stuck out of his mouth, coming from wherever he and his girlfriend had been hiding.

"W-What?" the letter mage stuttered as Lisanna didn't let go of him. She just smiled up at him, all wide and such, he figured it had to be hurting her cheeks at least somewhat. "I do not-"

"It's your birthday," Ever reasoned from where she hadn't been bothered to hide and was sitting in one of the chairs, staring at him with a slight smile. "Right?"

"Right, but-"

"Look, Laxus!" Mirajane was still bouncing, overly giddy like usual. "He was really shocked, huh? Didn't suspect it at all."

"Hn."

"And you told me that no, it was a stupid idea. That he'd figure it out. But did he? No? So maybe I was, I dunno, at least somewhat right?"

"You did good demon," he grumbled. "Just shut up already."

"I do not understand," Freed was saying then as Lisanna let him go and went to stand with her boyfriend once more. "What-"

"It's a surprise party," Elfman said with a fist pump. "Because surprises are manly!"

"You did this for…me?"

"Well, duh, Freed," Ever said as she finally got to her feet and went to give him a hug as well. "Did you think we forgot or something?"

"I… It's rather late," he said slowly. "For you to be having it. I-"

"That's part of the surprise," Bickslow reasoned.

"And the demon," Laxus grumbled, "didn't get off until now. It was her whole thing, you know. Couldn't do it without her."

"You planned this?" Freed was staring at her so hard then that Mira left Laxus behind and went to hug him too. She was still rather bouncy. "Mirajane?"

"Of course! It's your birthday, silly, and I thought that you deserved something special." She wouldn't let him go either, it seemed. "I'm sorry I had to work all day today. But even if I'd gotten off, I'd have still needed time to get the cake done and-"

"And," Bickslow took over, winking at the man. "Me and Lissy would have missed out on our daily afternoon romp. Can't have that."

"Bickslow," she complained, elbowing him.

"But," Freed kept up as Mirajane gave him a kiss to the cheek before letting him go. "What about the rest of the week?"

"The rest of the week?" the demon asked, cocking her head at him. "What do you mean?"

"None of you were around. You all-"

"Laxus had the flu."

"Mirajane!" He rarely yelled at her, but in that moment, he looked down right angry. She just giggled. "I told you not to tell anyone about that!"

"You were sick, Laxus?" Even Ever and Bickslow seemed shocked. Freed though just rushed from Mira and over the man's side.

"Why did you not tell me?" he asked. "I would have done everything in my power to-"

"That's why."

"Laxus-"

"He was fine," Mirajane told the man. "Honest. I took good care of him, didn't I, dragon?"

"Mira-"

"But you work so much," Ever complained. "We could have all helped nurse you back to health, Laxus."

"Yeah, boss. I'dda even moved the daily afternoon romp to morning and the morning one to late night. Just for you!"

"I'm going to kill you," Lisanna hissed at Bickslow while Elfman paled.

"This party is turning out to be less of a man and more of a beat down," he mumbled. "Now we gotta talk about Laxus on top of all that?"

"I was fine," Laxus said, moving to shove Freed away when the man tried to hug him. "And stop-"

"Laxus." Mira gave him a look. "It's his birthday."

"Demon-"

"Let him hug you."

Groaning, he dropped his arm and Freed about tackled him to the ground in his overzealousness.

"Hug him back."

"You're pushing it, Mira."

Evergreen rolled her eyes. "And the rest of us were busy anyhow, Freed, this week."

"Busy?" he mumbled against Laxus' chest which he was blissfully rubbing his face into. With a frown, Laxus gave it another moment before peeling the guy off him.

"Me and Lissy," Bickslow began, tongue wagging. "We went out and got you this special gift, yeah? Searched everywhere for it."

"What?" Not nearly filled up on his Laxus time yet, but needing some answers to his questions, the green haired man turned to stare at the seith.

"Well," Lisanna said slowly as she went to pick up the wrapped package off the coffee table. "We weren't sure what we were looking for at first. But then one day, when we were out in a market, we just saw this and thought of you."

She was quick to pass the gift off to the birthday man who took it hesitantly. Lisanna and Bickslow weren't the most trustworthy, after all. But he wasn't sure how they could booby-trap such a thing and figured he had best just test his luck.

It proved absolute as he removed the wrapping paper to reveal a large tome, some sort of ancient lettering printed on the cover.

"Look!" Bickslow came over to stare down at it too. "We know that you like learnin' new stuff, yeah? And the guy that sold us this said it has somethin' to do with magic. And you like solvin' puzzles, like your ruins and such and…well… It was this or these really cool looking toy guns that we found."

"We bought those too," Lisanna told him, smiling slightly. "But we're having so much fun with them already, that it'd be really sucky if you took them from us."

He smiled then, glancing up at both of them. "Thank you. Honestly, this is rather thoughtful, considering."

"Considering what?" Bickslow asked.

"Considering it came from us, he means," Lisanna told him, though she was grinning too. "And you're welcome, Freed. Happy birthday."

"Happy birthday!" Bickslow's dolls, who had been mostly silent up till then came to circle around his head, cackling heartily. "Freed!"

"And thanks to Elfman-" Ever began, only to be cut off by her boyfriend.

"It's not my fault, Ever, that you spent all your extra money on-"

"If you bought it for me, I wouldn't have had to-"

"Ever and Elfman had to go out on jobs," Mira said then, to cut them off and keep them from arguing more. They had that tendency. "They didn't have enough money to buy you a gift."

"You had no need to do that," he said with a frown, looking over to them then. "I mean, it is not that big of-"

"Of course it is," Elfman said, nodding his head. "Real men give to their friends!"

Friends?

"We couldn't be the only ones not to get you anything," Ever said, going to pick something up off the coffee table as well. "Here you go."

It was a smaller package and, when he sat down the book on the couch, he moved to unwrap it as well.

"We were kinda at a loss too," Ever said. "And Elfman wasn't much help."

"I was plenty of help!"

"It's a Light Pen," Freed said slowly.

"I know that Bickslow broke your other one," Ever said with a shrug. "And you're probably tired of borrowing Mirajane's."

"I didn't break it," Bickslow complained. "I just… No, yeah, I broke it. Thanks, Ever."

"I didn't buy it for you," she said. "And Freed, I would really consider not letting him use that one."

He just smiled at his teammates though before blushing slightly. "I thought… This whole week, it seemed as if you were all avoiding me. I'm sorry for making assumptions about you."

"It's okay, buddy," Bickslow said. "All of us have moments of-"

"What assumptions?" Ever wasn't so forgiving. "Freed?"

"W-Well-"

"Let's forget that." Mira went to grab Freed's arm then and drag him off into the dining room. "Come on. I made dinner and a cake. And Laxus and I got you something pretty cool too."

"What?" he asked, letting himself be drug along. It was better than having to watch Ever shoot him those daggers.

It was sitting on the dining table though for him to see. A brand new sword, the hilt being encrusted with a few jewels as well as a card that sat next to it, written then in Mira's more feminine and eye-catching handwriting.

"You like it?" Laxus asked as he went to pick up the word. "Good balance for you?"

"Yes," Freed breathed. Bickslow just frowned though.

"I knew they'd out do us," he grumbled softly to his girlfriend.

"Oh, Bicks. It's not a competition."

"I'm treatin' it like one."

"Then you won in my eyes. Does that make it better?"

"Why, Lissy," he said with a grin. "You should know that you're the only one that matters to me."

"This is all so much," Freed said slowly, glancing around at them all then. Mira was still closest to him and grinning widely. Speaking to her then, he said, "I did not think that you considered us so close, to have a party for me."

"Of course we're close," she told him, giving him a confused look. "We're family, Freed."

Family?

"We were going to have it up at the bar," she went on. "But I thought that you wouldn't like that as much. I mean, I just thought it'd be more fun, just all of us. I'm sorry."

Laxus was giving him the death glare then for making Mirajane think that she had done wrong. And, even without that motivation, Freed was turning regardless to hug Mira that time, setting his sword down on the table first.

"Do not apologize," he told her simply as the demon giggled, happy that he was so appreciative. "This is very nice. Thank you. For the sword especially."

"You haven't even eaten dinner yet," she said. "Besides, it's what I would have done for any of you."

Sure, but none of the others would have been so suspicious of her in the hours leading up to that moment. He felt rather embarrassed and silly to have jumped to such conclusions.

"Alright, alright, stop touching my demon." Laxus came to separate them. "Enough."

"Dragon," Mirajane complained though he only gave Freed a warning glance. He smiled in response though.

"I only meant to show my thanks," he was quick to say. "That is all."

"Yeah, well, you've shown it. Now all of you sit down! I'm hungry." He sneezed about then, reminding them all that he was probably still coming down from his most recent sickness. Mirajane rushed to get him a tissue while Laxus just rolled his eyes and claimed the seat at the head of the table.

"Don't you think," Lisanna said slowly as she went to sit down with Bickslow, "that Freed should sit there, Laxus?"

"Does he look like the freaking Thunder God, Lisanna? No? Okay then. Be quiet."

"Mira," she called after sticking her tongue out at him. "Your boyfriend's being a jerk."

"Laxus," she sighed as she returned with a box of tissues for him. "Behave. And Elf, can you help me bring dinner out here?"

"Of course! Real men help their sisters!"

"Oy," Bickslow said as he took to beating on the table with his fork, no doubt bored. Glancing across the table at Freed, he said, "You think you can let me see that nifty little pen you got there? I-"

"Bickslow." Ever frowned at him as she sat down next to Freed. "Knock it off."

"What? I ain't ever allowed to have no fun? Is that it, Ever?"

"That's exactly it."

Lisanna giggled, reaching over to lay a hand on her boyfriend's arm. "Why do you just save up and buy your own?"

"Why should I? I share everything with you, Freed. 'cept Lissy, but that's pretty self-explanatory."

"If I hear one more remark about you two and…just you two in general," Laxus grumbled, pointing between the seith and youngest Strauss sibling, "I'm going to strangle you both."

"I heard that one, dragon." Mira was coming back into the room and gave him a strong look. "Don't be sour today. We're supposed to be happy! It's Freed's birthday. And we all just love him so much. Don't we, guys?"

Lisanna, never one to let her sister down, was quick to say, "Yes."

Bickslow was picking at his nails then and said, "Sure, whatever."

"Men don't love men," Elfman complained.

"Something tells me you don't know Freed too well," Ever sighed.

Laxus sent them all looks. "Mira said that you're supposed to say that you love him, so fucking say it, you rejects!"

"Laxus," Mira hissed, but it had worked.

"I love you, Freed," Lisanna repeated.

"Yeah. And I love whatever Lissy does."

"I guess I love you," Elfman said as he came to set a huge plate of something down in the center of the table. "In a manly way though."

"I love you more than Bickslow," Ever offered.

"Hey! I change my answer," the seith complained. "I love you so much, Freed. And I hate Ever."

"You-"

"And that's fine," Laxus grumbled. "It's not her birthday. You can all hate Ever if you want."

"Laxus."

"What, Mira? I'm helping."

She just went to wrap her arms around the seated Freed, who just glanced up at her.

"We love you, Freed," she said. "Okay?"

"Enough with the touching. What is this, huh?" Laxus clearly wasn't comfortable with that element of their apparent friendship. "Freed?"

"N-Nothing! She is the one-"

"Oh, so now you're blaming Mirajane?"

"I don't get it," Lisanna whispered to Bickslow. "Whenever they do this, it seems like there's no way for Freed to win."

"There's not," he sighed as he stopped banging the fork on the table to stare at her. "I think that's the point."

"Stop, Laxus." Mira still didn't let go of Freed, though she did glance over at him. "And aren't you forgetting something?"

"What?"

"You have to tell Freed that you love him too," she said.

"Mira-"

"Do it, Laxus. Now."

Growling, he thought about it for a moment before staring at his green haired friend, who still very much so had _his demon_ hanging onto him. To get that over with as soon as possible, Laxus spat out, "I love you, Freed."

And never had any day meant so much to him as that one. Laxus loved him! And it was all thanks to…to…

Mirajane Strauss.

Huh.

Perhaps he had mapped things out backwards. Mirajane wasn't keep Laxus from him. She was bring a whole new side of him out and into the open. It was the best birthday gift of all.

"Thank you, Mirajane!"

Freed jumped up so quickly that he startled her while also breaking her grip around his neck. This also toppled the chair as he turned to face her and pull her into his arms, placing a chaste kiss to her lips in thanks.

"That's it," Laxus growled, getting to his feet, not seeing this just as a sign of gratitude and an silent prayer for forgiveness but rather as complete and utter disrespect for the fact that, not only was the demon his, but he was _right fucking there_ and saw the whole thing. "You asked for it this time, Freed!"

"And there goes dinner," Ever sighed as Mirajane rush to go hold her boyfriend back and Freed fell to his knees, praying for forgiveness and claiming that it was nothing more than a friendly peck. Getting to her feet, Ever called out, "Happy birthday, Freed. Let's…not do this next year, okay? We can all just go out drinking or something."

"This blows," Bickslow complained, banging on the table once more. "I want my cake!"

"Leave him alone, Laxus!" Lisanna was rushing to Freed's aid. "I think we all know pretty damn well that he doesn't want Mirajane."

"And what," Mira complained, turning to glare at her, "does that mean?"

"I'm not making a slight towards you," her younger sister complained. "Just that… Well."

"Well?"

"Well."

Huffing, Mira said, "Laxus, you're ruining my party. Sit down. Now! You too, Ever. This isn't over. You guys are messing everything up!"

"Men don't kiss other men's girlfriends," Elfman said slowly. "Although, real men take chances. But then again, men don't take what's not theirs. But-"

"Ever," Laxus growled as Mira looked near tears before him. "Get back here. And Elfman, finish bringing dinner out here. No more touching my demon though, Freed."

"Of course, Laxus. I am so sorry! It was a complete oversight."

"Not to sound…untelligable," Bickslow said slowly. "But is the cake coming soon or what?"

"Considering you actually mean unintelligible," Ever sighed as she claimed her seat once more, "that is exactly what you sound like."

"You be quiet, Ever! Ruining the party and whatnot," the seith grumbled as Lisanna, slowly, reclaimed her seat next to him. "Tryin' to keep me from using Freed's pen and actin' like you know more than me."

"Stop while you're…well, not ahead, but not horribly lapped either," Lisanna said, patting at his arm. "Bicks."

"I just want cake."

"I know. Me too."

Dinner was a tad tense from that point forth. Laxus kept glancing between Mira and Freed, but the two seemed oblivious to it. And Mira, for her part, was. Freed though? Not so much.

Sigh. Another day, another chance to disappoint Laxus.

Although he still was unable to wipe that remnants of a grin from his face. And when the party came to a close that night and Laxus retreated off to Mirajane's room to sleep the whole thing off, Freed found himself thanking her graciously once more.

Laxus loved him.

Ha.

"Of course, Freed," Mira said as she cleaned up the kitchen, Evergreen and Elfman had gotten into a fight and left with one another to sort it out as he walked her home while Lisanna told the others that she'd be back to help clean up after she walked Bickslow home.

Which made no sense. At all. Why would she walk him home? Honestly, Mirajane wasn't even naïve enough to believe her sister would be coming back that night. She just hoped that they didn't plan on taking off on another one of their adventures or anything of the like. Lisanna had a shift at the bar the next morning, after all.

"No, not of course," he said, sighing slightly. "I… Sometimes I feel left out."

"Of what?"

"I don't know," he said with a sigh. She wasn't letting him help with clean up, as she claimed it was his birthday, but he couldn't in his right mind leave her there to do it all by herself either. The least he could do was give her some company. "Of the rest of your lives, I suppose?"

"What?"

"You and your siblings have all filled a role in the others lives that doesn't concern me," he said. "And I know that you do not like when I tag along on the group dates that you all have-"

"I really don't think the others like those to begin with," Mira admitted. Not that that would stop her from forcing them all to go on them. No way. "But you're always welcome."

"Welcome, yes," he said. "But needed there? No."

"Of course you're needed." She was busy washing dishes and glanced over at him then, at the kitchen table, with a slight frown. "And wanted. You're Laxus' best friend, Freed. I know that. And if you feel like I'm hampering that then-"

"No," he was quick to say though, a few hours ago, he would have screamed to the high heavens that that was exactly what she was doing. "If anything, you're improving it."

"Then I don't-"

"It's childish, of course," he said with a sigh. "But I just feel forgotten at times. That is all. Like this week. It felt as if you were all conspiring together and…and it sounds silly now that I think of it with a level head."

"I'm sorry." Mira sounded sincere too. "Laxus didn't want anyone to know that he was sick. And I really didn't know that Lisanna and Bickslow had taken off. They do it all the time without saying anything. I figured they were just doing their usual thing and you knew that. Then Elfman and Ever, well, I couldn't tell you that they were out raising money for your birthday gift. That would have ruined everything. You know?"

"Yes, of course, I understand it now," he said. "But the past few days-"

"If you feel left out, then maybe I-"

"No," he said with as hake of his head. "Slowly, I am beginning to think it is my fault."

"Your fault?"

"I have been slow in my acceptance of the change that is clearly upon us," he sighed. "You are all just so happy together and, well, it almost makes the time that we all spent happy alone hollow."

"No, it doesn't," she said. "It just means that things have changed. That's all. And that doesn't discredit the time before, it just makes it that much more special to remember. We all had to grow up eventually."

"Yes," he sighed. "I suppose we did."

He didn't risk hugging Mirajane again when he left that night, though he did thank her explicitly. She just giggled though and told him that it was no problem.

"And Laxus will forget all about this, I'm sure," she added. "He just gets a little overzealous with his jealousy sometimes."

Freed blushed at that for a multitude of reason. "Yes, well, we all can feel the green eyed monster rear it's head occasionally."

Though it would be a lie to say that he wasn't at least somewhat glad that he and Laxus shared that trait together, he also felt ashamed of himself. The Strauss siblings, if anything, were relieving him of many headaches. And heartaches. They put up with all the qualities of the others that he couldn't stand. He hated how childish Bickslow was at times and, well, Lisanna just loved it. He couldn't stand Ever's snarky side, but Elfman and her seemed to thrive off fighting with one another. Then, lastly, Freed could admit to himself, if only quietly in his mind, that he could never reign Laxus in the way that Mirajane did. Never. It was out of his realm of abilities.

So if there was a time and place for everything, then maybe there was a person for every problem. And no longer did he have to be the one to fix all of them in the Thunder Legion and their idol. If anything, it should be a weight off his back, if only somewhat.

Right?

Right.

The Strauss siblings weren't his enemies and while at times he did wish that he too had one, if only not to feel so left out, he realized that night as he arrived at home to replace his old sword with the new blade while also read over some of that book Lisanna and Bickslow had given him, taking notes with his new Light Pen, that he wasn't the odd uncle that was just so lonely. They were joining houses and, if anything, he was the proud father that got to see all of his problem children so happy and pure finally.

And what was better than that?

* * *

 **I'm a little stuck on the chapters of my stories right now (I just can't write on them for some reason), so I figured a one-shot could make up for that.**


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